Dortmund Negotiates £21m Transfer for Sunderland Midfielder Jobe Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund have made Jobe Bellingham, Sunderland’s 19-year-old midfielder, a top transfer target for the summer, hoping he will follow the path of his older brother Jude, who excelled at Dortmund before moving to Real Madrid. Dortmund's high-level delegation, including head coach Niko Kovac, sporting director Sebastian Kehl, and managing director Lars Ricken, traveled to the northeast of England to negotiate with Sunderland and Bellingham's representatives, with a transfer fee around €25 million (£21.2 million) being discussed. Jobe, who has three years left on his contract, recently won the Championship Young Player of the Year award and has been a key player for Sunderland during their push for Premier League promotion. Dortmund view him as a more affordable alternative to Chelsea's Carney Chukwuemeka and face competition from clubs including RB Leipzig, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace. The German club maintains strong ties with the Bellingham family and is eager to secure Jobe’s signature regardless of Sunderland’s promotion outcome. Dortmund's reputation for nurturing young English talent, highlighted by stars like Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, underpins their interest in the younger Bellingham.